I welcome the release today from de facto house arrest of the General
Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi, by Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
The Australian Government has repeatedly called for the release
of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The freeing of the NLD leader is a positive step in the process
of political reconciliation.
We encourage the Burmese Government to build on this by taking
further steps to advance the process. We will continue to encourage
it to release the remaining political prisoners, permit the re-opening
of NLD offices and open a substantive political dialogue with the
NLD and Burma's ethnic groups.
I pay tribute to the key role of Tan Sri Razali Ismail, the UN
Special Envoy to Burma, in supporting the confidence-building talks
between the SPDC and Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD leader's release
comes within 10 days of Tan Sri Razali completing his seventh official
visit to Burma.
For media enquiries : Lyndall Sachs (Departmental) 02-6261 1555
